tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77393861328344820192017-08-12T23:29:11.506+05:30Arbitrary ContemplationGoK: God only knowsKarthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-33271757953864019182014-05-02T12:55:00.002+05:302014-05-02T12:58:02.500+05:30How to use credit cards and earn not just reward points but real money<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">We all, okay, at least a lot of us use credit cards and I'm assuming most of us know how it is beneficial. It is so much more convenient to pay bills, buy goods, convert large purchases to EMIs etc. all on credit - money that's loaned to us. And most credit cards offer a 52 day or so rolling credit. What this essentially means is that the bank is offering you an interest free loan for 52 days. Of course, that doesn't actually translate to 52 days if you make your purchase on the last day of your billing cycle, but if you do schedule your purchases during the first 15 days of your billing cycle, it offers quite an opportunity to not only save money but earn more out of it.<br /><div>There are dime a dozen articles and blog posts out there explaining why you should pay off your credit card debt in full every billing cycle and I'm not going to go into it. In a nutshell, if you pay off your credit card bill every month/cycle in full, you essentially pay zero interest. Now, keeping this in mind, consider the following scenario</div><div>Let us assume you get your salary on the first day of the month. Now, let us assume that your credit card billing cycle is from the 11th of the current month to the 10th of the next month. This means that you receive your credit card bill on the 10th of every month and the due date for which (assuming a 52 day rolling credit) is 30th of every month.&nbsp;</div><div>This being the case, you have money lying in your savings bank account earning a measly 4% (average SB interest rates in most banks today) until you pay off your card. Obviously, paying off your Credit card bill immediately is foolish. Even if that money sits in a regular savings bank account, it is earning interest for you, albeit at a lower interest than it can. So, ideally, the best thing would be to pay off your card 3-4 days before the last day, because the transaction takes 3 days to get processed and hence, this would make sure that it gets processed before the due date and you aren't held responsible if there's a delay in processing because of system issues. Our goal is to make the money sitting in our SB account work harder between the 10th and the 30th of every month.&nbsp;</div><div>Now that we have the boring facts out of the way, here's the life hack to make more money. If you don't already have an account in <b>State bank of India</b>, get one immediately, for it is the only bank (that I know of at the time of writing this post) that makes this hack super simple and extremely convenient. Read further to know more.</div><div>Okay, so, now you've gotten an account in SBI, assuming you've got your internet banking setup and are able to login, view transactions etc. and also your PAN associated with the account (this is mandatory for many transactions that you will need to do and be the good citizen and not evade tax), let's see how to make some extra money. This may not be a lot of money, but any money is good money and for a small effort from your side, it offers a lot of advantages.&nbsp;</div><div>In case you have your salary being deposited in SBI already, good. If not, it's alright. We have the power of NEFT/IMPS. As soon as your salary gets credited to your account, using one of the two methods, transfer the money that you think you would owe the credit card company when the bill for the current cycle gets generated. You must have a fair idea of this. If not, you have bigger problems to worry about. In our example, on the 1st of the month, I transfer the money (that I think would be the bill for this month) to the SBI account. NEFT/IMPS would charge me a <a href="http://www.icicibank.com/Personal-Banking/onlineservice/online-services/FundsTransfer/neft-rtgs.html" target="_blank">service fee</a> for this transfer. It doesn't matter. We'll be making much more money than this. I prefer IMPS because it is available 24x7 even on holidays and charges are similar to NEFT's.&nbsp;</div><div>Now comes the best part. SBI offers a product called online term deposit (eTDR). We need to open this account using the money that we transferred. Now, the minimum duration of this account is 7 days. SBI is the only bank that offers this. All other banks offer much higher minimum durations and the interest rates are better than a regular SB account only for accounts greater than a year, which makes all other banks TDs unattractive for our purpose.&nbsp;</div><div>So, open an eTDR account and choose 7 days as the duration. Choose "Autorenew principal and repay interest" option. It'll give you an option to choose the duration for reinvestment. Choose 7 days in that too. So, what this essentially does is that it credits the interest earned by this account to your SB account every 7 days and the original principal is reinvested for a further 7 days. What makes this very attractive is the fact that this account offers a <a href="https://www.sbi.co.in/user.htm?action=viewsection&amp;lang=0&amp;id=0,16,384,385" target="_blank">7.5% interest</a> v/s a mere 4% that SB offers at the time of writing this post. The interest is credited immediately and not quarterly like in a regular SB account. Also, in a regular SB account, the interest is calculated on a daily balance basis, and hence if the amount is withdrawn in between, you lose the interest for those days. Since this is almost like a fixed deposit account, you can't take the money out without premature closure.</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kQw15DIpXnc/U2NE_4h9W4I/AAAAAAAATMA/mOyCc1Pj-ws/s1600/SBI+eTDR.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kQw15DIpXnc/U2NE_4h9W4I/AAAAAAAATMA/mOyCc1Pj-ws/s1600/SBI+eTDR.png" height="395" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>And 3-4 days before your due date for credit card payment, you can close this account and the amount including the interest as on that day minus the penalty for pre-closure (only for the last 7-day cycle), is immediately credited to the SB account associated with this account. You can then pay off your credit card using this money. And if you are using HDFC card, use this link <a href="https://payments.billdesk.com/ubp/hdfc/">https://payments.billdesk.com/ubp/hdfc/</a> to pay the card directly from the SBI account and avoid any NEFT charges again to transfer to the HDFC account.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Pro tip:</b> If any of your friends owe you money and you have a HDFC credit card, you can ask them to use the link above to pay your card directly with the amount they owe instead of paying you cash. This will save them NEFT charges as well.</div><div><br /></div><div>Keep in mind that this interest earned is <b>NOT tax-free</b>. You will have to include all this interest earned when you calculate your taxable salary for the year and pay the tax on it according to the slab you fall under. Despite this, this is a good method to make your money work harder for you while still keeping it fairly liquid.</div><div><br /></div><div>So, that's how you make your credit card usage earn you real money! Leave a comment and let me know if you know of better ways that you've come across or implement yourself. &nbsp;Also, let me know if there are other banks that offer better interest rates with the same safety guarantee (in terms of trust) that SBI offers.<br /><br />Until next time... Happy investing!</div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-51897707854588220782014-04-17T22:02:00.001+05:302014-04-19T19:00:34.382+05:30The Transformers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr">Cinema. Yes, the almost omnipresent medium that arguably contributes to the majority of impressions, prejudices and philosophies through its&nbsp; rhetoric on young minds especially during their impressionable ages. At least on me - it did. Cinema coupled with the preconceived notions on society, on the rights and wrongs and consequently our behaviour toward the existence of such deeds, of our parents, make us who we are, but does it end there? The making of a gentleman or a lady? </div><div dir="ltr">There comes the age at which nothing is taken at face value. Everything is questioned. Everything is viewed with a sense of&nbsp; scepticism. Every single thing urging us to rebel against the system. To bring about a change, but change isn't always necessarily good, is it? Not until the realisation, that some things are better left unchanged, dawns upon us. The old adage of "If it ain't broke don't fix it" proving to be the solution to most problems.</div><div dir="ltr">And then comes the age of a higher aspiration. An aspiration to become a better human being, a better person, a better role model to the next generation. To not be a burden on this earth. To contribute something meaningful and make someone else's life a little bit more easier, a little bit more comfortable, a little bit less harsh at the very least.</div><div dir="ltr">What brings about this transformation? Who is the transformer? Is it just cinema alone? Is it my parents whom I want to make proud? Is it the girl I want to impress through my chivalry? Am I natively chivalrous or am I doing it only for others' eyes? Is it the next door neighbours' kids who I want to look up to me? Is it my earning capacity that has put me in touch with the slightly more affluent society where things considered taboo earlier in my middle class upbringing are no more so? </div><div dir="ltr">Why do my perspectives change? Why do my belief systems change? Who am I trying to be? Why do I put on a show? Is it all just a play? Am I taking others' opinions too seriously? or am I just not caring at all? </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='240' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/95UdAo4JdJI?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div dir="ltr">Are these what make one a person who they are?</div><div dir="ltr">Food for thought. </div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-65794777742777857112014-03-21T15:32:00.001+05:302014-03-21T15:55:48.092+05:30The Bombay bug<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">For all the glory of being christened the silicon valley of India, for all the hustle and bustle and activity, for all the unplanned development, for all the traffic snarls, for all the lack of infrastructure, for all the insufficient public transport systems, For all the low-rise buildings, &nbsp;the "Swalpa adjust maadi" city of Bangalore, despite all this, is still very laid back compared to Bombay, or should I be saying Mumbai?<br /><div><br /></div><div>Just a 1000KM away and yet a world of difference. For starters.. there are just SO MUCH MORE PEOPLE! A city that's smothered by a haze of smoke is in direct contrast to the people living in it. The warmth of the people and their penchant to follow the rules can be seen when the Autorickshaws charge not a penny more than the meter and the Taxis cost only incrementally more than the Autos. From the amazingly lip-smacking yet cheap street food to the swanky Palladium mall, I wanted to take it all in.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yes, I was bitten by the Bombay bug. The city as a way of seeping into your senses, crawl into your vein and before you know it, you're a Mumbaikar too! A thousand posts before this would've talked about this beautiful, yet polluted city. A million different posts would've talked about the woes that bog it down. And an equal number that call it "Slumbai". So, I am not going to talk about any of those. What I AM going to talk about instead is the kind of bug that bit me. The travel bug!</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been in Bangalore all my life. I used to joke, once upon a time, about how the northern most part of India that I've been to was Tirupati. Yeah. That held true for a very long time in my life. *Hangs head down in shame* Although I was the adventurous kind, I never was given the opportunity or permission to venture out anywhere on my own. And when I didn't need the permission, I still hadn't saved up enough to afford to just pack my bags and leave. As a result, I am yet (yes, to date *Hangs head in shame again*) to visit a lot of places even around Bangalore. The first time I really was on my own in another city was when I was sent to Germany on work. What a beautiful experience that was! but that's for another post, another time.&nbsp;Moving on...</div><div>So, when I got to know that I'm being sent to Bombay, I promised myself to break out of my shell and not sit on my backside just warming my seat. Since I didn't know if, a very BIG IF or when next I'll ever be going back to Mumbai, I decided to make the best possible use of my time to explore both the city and all that was humanly possible around it. BOY! was I in for a surprise. Suddenly the time on hand was terribly insufficient to cover all the places I wanted to see.</div><div><br /></div><div>I got out of the city every chance that I got and explored as much as I could given the money and time I could spare. The travel bug had finally caught me after me being elusive to it for all these years when in Bangalore. Bombay made me realise how there is SO MUCH to explore even in and around Bangalore. The city did change something fundamentally about me. It gave a whole new perspective. So, I've decided to continue my adventures even after I returned. After a whole month of settling down back in Bangalore, now I can pay heed to my travel urge. (Honestly, I was just procrastinating but shhhh...). I'm planning to kick it off with a bike trip to Lepakshi tomorrow. All going well, this plan should come to fruition. Let's see. I'll update this post with pics from that trip if it happens, or may be a whole new post for it altogether.</div><div><br /></div><div>I know I've made you wait this long to know where all I had been to and what all I had seen and done in Maharashtra (if you've not been following me on Google+ or instagram or Facebook). So, without any further ado...&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the pics:&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Daultabad:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5968227296907845873">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5968227296907845873</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Aurangazeb's tomb:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967635713963155137">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967635713963155137</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Ghrishneshwar (One of the Jyotirlingas):&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/596763536970982268">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/596763536970982268</a>9</div><div><br /></div><div>Ellora:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967634581513614801">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967634581513614801</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Bibi ka Maqbara, Aurangabad:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967642159786281729">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967642159786281729</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Panchakki, Aurangabad:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967644320049538529">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967644320049538529</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Ajanta:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967643419509708337">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967643419509708337</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Shirdi &amp; Shani Shignapur:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967638458673987569">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5967638458673987569</a></div><div><br /></div><div>Kashid and Murud Janjira:&nbsp;<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5968738056981288785">https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/112346660969357540686/albums/5968738056981288785</a></div><div><br /></div><div>I'm yet to compile the older photos from Elephanta and Mumbai itself. So, I'll update this post once it is done.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>And finally, a BIG thanks to Google search and maps for helping me figure out and get my facts checked before venturing out blind. Who knows, I would've probably ended up being mugged somewhere or worse, if not for being armed with prior info. So terribly grateful for that not happening :D&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Until the next adventure then (hopefully soon)...</div><div><br /></div><div>Happy travelling!</div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-1927952485616359642013-12-29T16:17:00.000+05:302013-12-31T20:32:54.174+05:30The Proverbial Retrospection: 2013 and Thanksgiving<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm going to do away with the pleasantries and dive right in as I suspect this is going to be a long post. You've been warned.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Last year ended with quite a bang with me attending a Carnatic kutcheri and a (large scale) music concert (that too ARR's) for the first time in my life. What an experience that was! So, naturally this year had a lot to do to outdo last year.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>It started off slowly... work-wise.. same old project continuing from last year, some friends moving to other cities...&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/103556771391231415864" target="_blank">+Apoorva Sripathi</a>&nbsp;Don't forget us ;)&nbsp;and some friends from other cities moving in to Bangalore <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111116117097565108116" target="_blank">+Ashwini Poovaiah</a>&nbsp;Hello, madam. And some wayfarers&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111743601537029110093" target="_blank">+vishesh unni raghunathan</a>.&nbsp;New groups were formed, both physically and on (dreads mentioning the name for the fear of another deluge of spam) whatsapp. New friendships made :) And some lost :( More people from twitter met. Chennai visits put. Festivals celebrated. And being forbidden from celebrating any more for a year because of a death in the family. You know... the routine stuff.</div><div>Except... I started to learn French! No, not the swear words that we ask to be pardoned as french. Actual French.&nbsp;Française!&nbsp;Oui. À l'Alliance Française de Bangalore.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>This was totally unexpected. After trying to enrol for&nbsp;German course and failing because of underestimating the demand for it and the limited number of seats, I was contemplating to not wait another 6 months and enrol for French in the meanwhile.After I heard that&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/117916283290691012794" target="_blank">+Malvika Iyer</a>&nbsp;was also going to enrol in the Chennai branch of AF, she induced more enthusiasm and contemplation turned into a decision and I didn't waste another moment. The very next day, I went to Alliance&nbsp;Française's&nbsp;office and enrolled myself. One of the best decisions&nbsp;this year. Although, later I got to know that&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/117916283290691012794" target="_blank">+Malvika Iyer</a>&nbsp;dropped the idea because she didn't get the time-slot that she wanted. Here's hoping she gets to join the next time around. This was a weekend course and I had set myself up for no weekend-getaways for the next 6 months. Not that I was a travelling all the time even otherwise but was planning to start. Never found the time, company or the money for it. Meh.</div><div></div><div>The spontaneous Coimbatore visit gave some impulse to rethink some of my priorities. Though the purpose of that visit wasn't fulfilled, it didn't matter.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Despite my bloody boring non-drinking, non-dancing life that one might think I'm leading, I had a pretty good time. After all, what are friends for. The numerous movies that we went to. The numerous meets. The couple of game-nights that I had with them. Oh what FUN! Really good times indeed! And the numerous instances of random tweetups.&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/110327857590602564981" target="_blank">+Vinay Kumaar</a>, <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/117846345403515507692" target="_blank">+Benjamin Jeevanraj</a>,&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/103726652029054307226" target="_blank">+ershad kaleebullah</a>,&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/109090933518109051959" target="_blank">+Ranjani Krishnakumar</a>, the other <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/106314599517752446590" target="_blank">+Ranjani S</a>&nbsp;,<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/117651353869088529207" target="_blank">+Sreedhar Panaman</a>,&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/101762870962161822848" target="_blank">+Aravind AM</a>,&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/112453718778315670858" target="_blank">+preethi Sundararaman</a>&nbsp;,&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/118159057998544840846" target="_blank">+Harish V</a>, <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/110425285885259937475" target="_blank">+Viju R</a>,&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/113544096065706635249" target="_blank">+Gopal Padmanabhan</a>&nbsp;Thanks guys for the memories created for a lifetime!</div><div>I also got to know a birthday sharer&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/116478036695617361618" target="_blank">+Neeraja Nagarajan</a>&nbsp;*Hi5*.</div><div><br /></div><div>Special mention - My chaddi buddy <a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/110449238678536850949" target="_blank">+Madana Prathap</a>&nbsp;for being condescending as ever and pulling me back to earth when I floated away into the clouds.&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111715018782882655364" target="_blank">+Vinod E</a>&nbsp;for the numerous attestations (Thanks to your Dad), for instances where I made you the driver. I owe you big time, brother.&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/100596191366061332969" target="_blank">+Vinny Wilfred</a>&nbsp;Though I've not seen you in a long time, here's to say that I still remember you :P All the best in the upcoming year, man :)</div><div>And how can I forget this crazy fellow&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/111119626840555487775" target="_blank">+Rajagopalan Venkataraman</a>. Thanks for the free accommodation that night, lifesaver. Welcome back to Bangalore. Here's to more good times.&nbsp;</div><div>One extra-special mention to my new NRI acquaintance who's now become a friend&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/101371335810822128636" target="_blank">+divya Shivaram</a>. Such a darling she was to carry my lightsabers all the way from UK and hand-delivered to me. Nandri hai very much. Can't wait to see you when you land soon :)</div><div><br /></div><div>Three weddings from the twitter world were attended - one&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/102790055583351886039" target="_blank">+Mirnalini Venkatraman</a>'s&nbsp; and the other&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/108045512684575495181" target="_blank">+Madhumitha Ramachandran</a>'s and another <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/113544096065706635249" target="_blank">+Gopal Padmanabhan</a>'s&nbsp;. Wishing you the best in this second innings of your life, <strike>guys</strike> maamis and maamaa :P</div><div><br /></div><div>Big thanks to Twitter&nbsp;for helping me getting to know so many wonderful people.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>What was different this year, though was toward the tail-end. As the last quarter of the year rolled in, it ushered in some new enthusiasm and hope about exciting times ahead and Boy! was it exciting. I was asked to come here to Bombay by my office as a leave replacement for a guy at the client's site. He was apparently going on leave for a month for his wedding. I wonder what he will do for that long.. won't he get bored? Anyway, I digress. After my old project came to an end in August and being on the metaphorical "Bench"ever since, I jumped at this opportunity. If you know me, you'll also know how much I wanted to experience staying alone independently. This was all expenses paid, company sponsored grant of my wish.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before I started to Bombay, I promised myself that I'll not be my lazy self and explore Bombay and its surroundings as much as possible and I was keeping up that promise until I fell ill a couple of days ago, but I'm still satisfied with all the places and more importantly food that I got to cover in this trip. Made full use of the opportunity. I thank&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/102790055583351886039" target="_blank">+Mirnalini Venkatraman</a>&nbsp;and my French classmate Puja for being my virtual tour guides. Thanks a tonne for all the suggestions. Would've never been able to cover all those places if you hadn't mentioned it. If you follow me on facebook/twitter/instagram, you'd have seen all the spam photos from me. If any of you got annoyed by it, Sorry. There were people curiously asking about where all I'd been to and what all I had eaten. Fans, you see. :D Can't disappoint them, can you? I'm very happy with this new me who gets off his ass and goes places. Hoping this continues after I return to Bangalore too, although, there it'll be on my own money, not on-site allowance :(&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Work here is a support based project which is mostly repeated stuff along with some documentation. Yeeeaah... you know the regular. Nothing very exciting, but it is serving &nbsp;me my bread &amp; butter, or should I say Vada &amp; Pav :P, so a shoutout to work - Yay! :D&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>Given my poor memory, I might've forgotten so many other incidents of significance. Please forgive me if you were the "turbines" behind those instances. :P &nbsp;(Started out as a retrospection and turned into a Thanksgiving post, so edited the title too. )</div><div>This year passed real quick like a flutter of a butterfly wing and it is coming to a close, and so is my Bombay trip. I'll be back to base.. to Bangalore in the first week of next year. Hoping to cover a few more places before that, if time permits. Unlikely, considering I'm working all days, including New year's and the following Saturday, but let's see. So, until then... have a super end to this year and let the next one be the best you've had so far!</div><div><br /></div><div>Thanks for being so patient to read until this point.&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div>A bientôt! Je t'embrasse.&nbsp;</div><div>Au revoir.</div><div><br /></div><div>P.S. Yeah, I've actually been learning French. Not just for show off :P</div><div><br />P.P.S. Nothing to see here. You can hit the close button, now. Bye.<inserting family="" here="" shoutout="" to=""></inserting><br /><br />Or you can share this on the interwebz.<br /><br />Still here? Are you that bored? Okay, leave a comment then. :)<br /><br />That's all.<br /><br />Really. The End. Now, Go. :)</div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0Mumbai, Maharashtra, India19.0759837 72.87765590000003618.5957917 72.232208900000032 19.556175699999997 73.52310290000004tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-75366107749143133132013-11-02T20:29:00.000+05:302013-11-02T20:29:18.036+05:30Badhusha - Deepavali Special<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr"><strong>Ingredients:</strong></div><div dir="ltr">For 15 Badhushas of medium size: <br />1. Dalda - 1 cup (Davara)<br />2. Maida - 3 cups<br />3. Cooking soda - A pinch<br />4. Sugar - 1.5 cups (depending on the intensity of a sweet tooth you have, you can reduce or increase this quantity)<br />5. Curd - 1/2 cup<br />6. Water - 1/4 cup (for sugar syrup)</div><div dir="ltr">&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr"><strong>Dough:</strong></div><div dir="ltr">Take 3 cups of Maida in a basin, mix the 1 cup of Dalda with this flour. DO NOT ADD ANY WATER. This will remain mostly dry for now. </div><div dir="ltr">&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9aq9-_fHy7M/UnUMxlqQQWI/AAAAAAAAIxw/s6UCJIn8KOA/s1600/IMG_20131101_150233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Maida" border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9aq9-_fHy7M/UnUMxlqQQWI/AAAAAAAAIxw/s6UCJIn8KOA/s400/IMG_20131101_150233.jpg" title="" width="400" /></a></div><br />Take a pinch of cooking soda in a small cup. Add a couple of teaspoons full of curd and beat them well together until the soda dissolves.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEIj7SLJHPE/UnUNMJy6bNI/AAAAAAAAIx4/r2mXsMmwVuk/s1600/IMG_20131101_150319.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tEIj7SLJHPE/UnUNMJy6bNI/AAAAAAAAIx4/r2mXsMmwVuk/s400/IMG_20131101_150319.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr">Add the above Soda+Curd mixture to the Maida dough mixed earlier and pour the rest of the curd too, into it. Mix all of this together until it comes to a consistency of soft Chapathi dough. The curd gives the wetness to form the dough. DO NOT ADD ANY WATER. Keep this dough covered and let it rest for a few minutes. About 5.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USXeysz4-Tk/UnUNWNvf66I/AAAAAAAAIyA/RwZGCn-X4_c/s1600/IMG_20131101_150417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-USXeysz4-Tk/UnUNWNvf66I/AAAAAAAAIyA/RwZGCn-X4_c/s320/IMG_20131101_150417.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr">&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr"><strong>Sugar syrup:</strong><br />Take the 1.5cups sugar in a heavy bottomed vessel. I used a pressure cooker without its lid.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbOeORoTksw/UnUN7pl-FqI/AAAAAAAAIyM/nPJfly-3P5g/s1600/IMG_20131101_150852.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gbOeORoTksw/UnUN7pl-FqI/AAAAAAAAIyM/nPJfly-3P5g/s320/IMG_20131101_150852.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />Pour the 1/4th cup of water into this vessel. Dissolve the sugar in the water and&nbsp; bring it to a boil. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bYccFgDxWDU/UnUO4Cq9kLI/AAAAAAAAIyY/kDhU18NfAzo/s320/IMG_20131101_150945.jpg" width="240" /><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-w9XKABssivU/UnUO_sdlK5I/AAAAAAAAIyg/aRhGV908uY8/s320/IMG_20131101_151340.jpg" width="240" /></div><br /><br />Boil only until it becomes slightly sticky. Do not boil it too much or the sugar will not soak into the dough and will only crystallize on the surface. As shown in the picture below, the syrup should slowly drip.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Zi_SmdxZqT0/UnUQA8TbsUI/AAAAAAAAIy0/teqmda81mNM/s320/IMG_20131101_151515.jpg" width="240" />&nbsp;<img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2ieb0S7N41E/UnUPKn-Ut6I/AAAAAAAAIyo/g_pulJkXS3w/s320/IMG_20131101_151511.jpg" width="240" /></div>&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr">&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr"><strong>Badhusha - Final Steps:</strong><br />Boil oil in another wide open vessel to deep fry the dough.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jG3uxLl0fk/UnUQbudgw4I/AAAAAAAAIy8/lkPbe7CcWz0/s1600/IMG_20131101_152244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jG3uxLl0fk/UnUQbudgw4I/AAAAAAAAIy8/lkPbe7CcWz0/s320/IMG_20131101_152244.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr">Take a lemon-sized amount of dough, make it into a ball and then flatten it. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zyqZaS-2JPk/UnURAATEmzI/AAAAAAAAIzY/R8ROXPubuX4/s320/IMG_20131101_151225.jpg" width="240" /><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pDm9U4XDB_k/UnURFgXmqOI/AAAAAAAAIzk/UB8GlvOBx1U/s320/IMG_20131101_151255.jpg" width="240" /></div><br />Press with your thumb in the middle of the circular dough and then poke a few holes on its surface all around, using a sharp object like a pin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XkH7TgaRMY/UnURLhKHZeI/AAAAAAAAIzs/9BKxbg-yedo/s1600/IMG_20131101_151702.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7XkH7TgaRMY/UnURLhKHZeI/AAAAAAAAIzs/9BKxbg-yedo/s320/IMG_20131101_151702.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Now deep-fry these cakes on a medium flame, until it turns golden brown which indicates that it's fully cooked. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sLqnnM8h-IY/UnURfREcwcI/AAAAAAAAI0Q/a2idVpjKL9w/s1600/IMG_20131101_152254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sLqnnM8h-IY/UnURfREcwcI/AAAAAAAAI0Q/a2idVpjKL9w/s320/IMG_20131101_152254.jpg" width="240" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QShwQ6xTD8k/UnURb6N9phI/AAAAAAAAI0E/zk-HdB8pM98/s320/IMG_20131101_152310.jpg" width="240" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">&nbsp;</div>Strain the oil and dunk these fried Badhusha cakes into the sugar syrup. Let it rest for the sugar to soak in.<br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOQUQJ-qtTQ/UnURq_ngItI/AAAAAAAAI0Y/h81j8IY1C74/s1600/IMG_20131101_153028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pOQUQJ-qtTQ/UnURq_ngItI/AAAAAAAAI0Y/h81j8IY1C74/s320/IMG_20131101_153028.jpg" width="240" /></a><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KNP8aj1K1jA/UnURv8bICrI/AAAAAAAAI0g/El9sw9l3qi0/s320/IMG_20131101_153050.jpg" width="240" /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1IX2lc-K-Lg/UnUR7PENv4I/AAAAAAAAI0s/7MBWgHTWqZ8/s1600/IMG_20131101_153124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1IX2lc-K-Lg/UnUR7PENv4I/AAAAAAAAI0s/7MBWgHTWqZ8/s320/IMG_20131101_153124.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>&nbsp;</div><div dir="ltr">Serve the sweet to yearning souls. Happy Eating! :-)</div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-88673695568142181052013-09-18T07:12:00.001+05:302013-09-18T10:59:22.255+05:30Madras bound<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr">The misty mornings in the outskirts. The slow drizzle starting to pour. The welcome messages of my cell phone company as I cross two state borders. The sudden warmth in the air. Rays of the Sun glistening over the coconut trees. Terrace plantations on the small hills. The meeting of the three parched river beds. The endless hills in the background of the beautiful plantations of crops. The petty fights for space in the coach. The unique tune of every hawker trying to sell their goods. The kid who is amused by the goings-on. The old man who's just waiting to get off. The visibly annoyed man trying to elbow for more space for himself through the crowd. The unmistakable indicator of entering the leather manufacturing district - the strong stench from the tanneries engulfing the whole region. The TTE struggling through the crowd to do his job. The woman who asks me if I'm Chennai bound, going to secure a seat for herself if I weren't. Her face turning from a hopeful smile to a frown of disappointment. And now I get back to reading my newspaper, quietly, with hunger pangs starting and quenched with just water, avoiding the stale looking railway food. The humidity hits and it hits one hard, but one wipes it away. The view of local trains - romantic. After the umpteen over-bridges, the passing through basin bridge station. And you you know you've arrived. The city may not be home and one might be just a visitor, but it definitely gives you a strange sense of belonging. <br />That's Madras for you. </div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-64179228583214040232013-07-14T22:27:00.001+05:302013-07-15T19:03:51.266+05:30Time<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr">Time, the healer and the malice.<br />Time, the appointment and the disappointment.<br />Time, the good and the bad.<br />Time, your friend and your enemy.<br />Time, you race with it and race against it.<br />Time, makes you respect people and suspect people.<br />Time, makes you laugh and makes you cry.<br />Whatever you're going through right now - This too shall pass.<br />So you Embrace it and brace yourself, for this life you're living, is alive!</div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-88205695769407227502013-07-06T15:21:00.001+05:302013-07-06T15:21:45.495+05:30Comforter<p dir="ltr">You are the one - there to greet me when I come home.<br>You are the one I cuddle up to.<br>You beckon to comfort me when I'm ill or tired.<br>You never get angry. You're always soft and gentle yet you take all the beating and carry my weight.<br>You're the only one I can fight with and be happy about it<br>I would never want to leave you, but I have to, but I always look forward to coming back to you for you are the only one who gives unconditional love.<br>You're the love of my life, oh memory foam mattress!</p>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-73435012258527428452013-07-05T19:43:00.002+05:302013-07-05T21:29:46.010+05:30Verbal Diarrhoea<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">Sorry. That's what we're taught to say when we hurt someone.&nbsp;</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">Whether we did something intentionally or not doesn't matter once the damage is done.&nbsp;</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">Whether the action was intentional, but hurting wasn't the goal isn't relevant. All that remains is the fact that you hurt someone.</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">It may be something good in the long run, but is it worth losing a friend over is for contemplation.</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">Do not open your mouth where it's not required will be something you learn, a lesson not taught in the manse.</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">Or what comes out may reveal the suspense, but rob you off the romance.</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">The person may forgive and forget.&nbsp;</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">Yet, this mind may want to apologise once again for the friendship it begets.</span></font></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><font class="Apple-style-span" color="#101010" face="'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 40px;">And you will be haunted forever by the trust you lost, to indulge your verbal diarrhoea. For you'd have proved you're a fool by breaking your silence.</span></font><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(16, 16, 16); font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 40px; ">&nbsp;</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 5px; text-align: left;"><br></div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-58025504361168316922013-05-19T13:35:00.002+05:302013-05-19T13:36:23.466+05:30Arachi vitta Rasam<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ingredients:</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Salt</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sambar powder</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Asafoetida</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tamarind</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jeera</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Black pepper</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curry leaves</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Coriander</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a lemon sized ball of tamaind and mix it with water and extract its juice.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take 3 teaspoons of crystal salt, 1 teaspoon of sambar powder, a pinch of asafoetida and the juice of tamarind in a vessel and boil them all together for half an hour.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boil toor dal with a pinch of turmeric and asafoetida until cooked well and keep it aside.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take 2 teaspoons of Black pepper and 2 teaspoons of Jeera and grind it with a little water to make a loose paste. Mix this with the broth made previously. Let this mix boil for another 15 minutes.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Add 4 tumblers of water to the Dal boiled previously. Mix it well and mash the dal. Take mostly just the juice of the Dal, boiled previously, with only a little bit of the Dal itself, (not too thick) and mix it with the tamarind juice broth. Boil until froth appears on the surface.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take a teaspoon of ghee in a kadai/wok and fry mustard and 2 red&nbsp;chillies&nbsp;in the ghee. Once the mustard starts bursting, pour this into the boiled broth. Add a little curry leaves and coriander for garnishing and taste.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Enjoy it with rice on a cold day.</span></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-90720553478304841732013-04-05T20:30:00.001+05:302013-04-05T20:30:46.455+05:30Mature love<p dir="ltr">Crush the urge and be subtle,<br>for maturing your infatuation into love.<br>Brush the lust aside for it has made lose many a battle,<br>for nurturing relationship to fit like a hand in a glove.</p>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-52968994147068585112013-02-12T23:20:00.000+05:302013-02-12T23:23:35.366+05:30Survival of the Cooker - Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><b style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thenga Podi (Coconut powder):</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I'm going to follow the same template as yesterday's post of Molaga podi for this post, as most of the ingredients and&nbsp;</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">procedure</span></span><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">&nbsp;are the same.</span></span></span><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A92ubamXcqg/URp9N4cY24I/AAAAAAAAEVM/TYMGQqKAnLQ/s1600/IMG_20130211_191137.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-A92ubamXcqg/URp9N4cY24I/AAAAAAAAEVM/TYMGQqKAnLQ/s320/IMG_20130211_191137.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><i>Disclaimer:</i>&nbsp;Follow the links if you aren't sure what these ingredients are. I have linked them to&nbsp;<a href="http://bigbasket.com/" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;">bigbasket.com</a>&nbsp;from where I buy my groceries. I have no other association with them.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">3/4th tumbler of&nbsp;<a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000425/bbs-toor-dal-premium-1-kg/" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Thuvaramparuppu</i>&nbsp;(Toor dhal)</a></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">1/4th tumbler of&nbsp;<a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000465/bbs-urad-wash-gota-500-gm-pouch/?spn=6" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Vellai uLundhu</i>&nbsp;(white urad dhal)</a></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">About 10&nbsp;<a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000419/bbs-red-chilli-200-gm-pouch/" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>MoLaga</i>&nbsp;Red Chillies</a>&nbsp;(Any variety that you prefer. Add more if you like it to be extra spicy)&nbsp;</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">About a Rs.5 coin sized piece of&nbsp;<a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/265315/lg-asafoetida-powder-100-gm-bottle/?spn=2" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i>Perungaayam</i>&nbsp;(Asafoetida/Hing)</a>, if you are using the solid kind. If you are using the powder, add about a tablespoon full. More if you like the smell of it.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="color: #333333;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">About 1/2 a coconut (medium sized one)</span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">About a tablespoon of&nbsp;<a href="http://bigbasket.com/ps/?q=oil" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">oil</a>&nbsp;(any oil that you prefer - I used refined sunflower oil)</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/248005/akar-iodised-crystal-free-flow-salt-1-kg-pouch/?spn=1" style="color: #9966cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Salt</a>&nbsp;- As necessary</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;">1 tumbler = approximately 150gm of&nbsp;<i>Paruppu</i>&nbsp;(Dhal). Not sure though.&nbsp;</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">Take all the ingredients mentioned above, except the </span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">thenga </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">(coconut)</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">&nbsp;</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">and fry it in a pan on medium flame with any oil that you prefer (I used refined sunflower oil) until both the&nbsp;</span><i style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">paruppu</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; line-height: 20px;">&nbsp;turn golden yellow. Make sure to keep&nbsp;</span><em style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Sautéing it to avoid burning it. The chilli would also have started emitting its odour by now. Once done frying, keep this mix aside to cool down.</em></div><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gMmy0Sn8NNI/URp9oA1EJ2I/AAAAAAAAEVU/D2Iui3NFwxs/s1600/IMG_20130211_191126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gMmy0Sn8NNI/URp9oA1EJ2I/AAAAAAAAEVU/D2Iui3NFwxs/s200/IMG_20130211_191126.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><em style="font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Scrape the </em><em style="line-height: 16px;">thenga </em><span style="line-height: 16px;">fully and fry the scrapes on a dry pan until it loses its raw smell and becomes dry.&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 16px;">Keep&nbsp;</span><em style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Sautéing it on the pan without any oil to avoid burning it.</em><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: 16px;">&nbsp;You will know if it is done from the change in texture. It should've come to a state where one strand(for the lack of a better term) doesn't stick to the other.</span><em style="font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">&nbsp;This indicates that it is cooked. Remove the pan away from the fire.</em></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Now, take the previous mix of Red chillies, Thuvaram Paruppu, VeLLai ULundhu and asafoetida, after making sure that it has cooled down sufficiently for your mixer, grind it Rock-salt as necessary. (Rock salt lends a better taste than free-flowing powdered salt).</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Last step is to add the thenga that has been cooling down all this while to the already ground powder and grind them all together.</em><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 20px;">&nbsp;</em></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Almost the same procedure as that of MoLaga podi but instead of kadali paruppu, we use thuvaram paruppu. And instead of eLLu, we add the thenga.</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Allow it to cool down and store it in an air-tight container. The measurements mentioned here will make the powder last for about a week for a single person, if used everyday.&nbsp;</em><br style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;" /><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rusHFlnLPY8/URqAlTxldEI/AAAAAAAAEVc/zHDYCTZCrsc/s1600/Thenga+Podi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="279" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-rusHFlnLPY8/URqAlTxldEI/AAAAAAAAEVc/zHDYCTZCrsc/s320/Thenga+Podi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">This can be mixed with rice, used as a side-dish for Idly, Dosai, Thayir saadham (Curd rice) etc.</em></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"></span><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Enjoy. :)</em></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><br /></em></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Next post - Dhaniya podi.</em></span><br /><br /></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-39738671909113009492013-02-11T21:38:00.005+05:302013-02-11T21:39:42.548+05:30Survival of the cooker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The display name project 365 of twitter has been keeping me busy and I had started ignoring this blog. Today, though, I have some interesting news. As of today, I'm officially a cooker. No no.. Not the pressure kind. The cooking kind. I mean, I have learnt to cook a few basic recipes that would help me NOT JUST survive, but help me retain sesnsation of my taste buds.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Yes, I have not just learnt to cook/make the Tambrahm essentials of Molagapodi, Thenga podi and Dhaniya podi, but have also made my first prototype test and I'm pleased to announce that it has been a grand success.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">This post is part 1 of the series where I shall describe the procedure to what all I have made.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">First up</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Molaga Podi (Chilli/Gunpowder):</span></b><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Disclaimer:</i> Follow the links if you aren't sure what these ingredients are. I have linked them to <a href="http://bigbasket.com/">bigbasket.com</a> from where I buy my groceries. I have no other association with them.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">3/4th tumbler of <a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000803/bbs-channa-dal-1-kg-pouch/?spn=2" target="_blank"><i>Kadalai paruppu</i> (Gram dhal)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4th tumbler of <a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000465/bbs-urad-wash-gota-500-gm-pouch/?spn=6" target="_blank"><i>Vellai uLundhu</i> (white urad dhal)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">About 10 <a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000419/bbs-red-chilli-200-gm-pouch/" target="_blank"><i>MoLaga</i>&nbsp;Red Chillies</a> (Any variety that you prefer. Add more if you like it to be extra spicy)&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">About a Rs.5 coin sized piece of <a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/265315/lg-asafoetida-powder-100-gm-bottle/?spn=2" target="_blank"><i>Perungaayam</i> (Asafoetida/Hing)</a>, if you are using the solid kind. If you are using the powder, add about a tablespoon full. More if you like the smell of it.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">1/4th tumbler of <a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/100172174/everyday-white-polish-til-500-gm-pouch/?spn=6" target="_blank"><i>eLLu</i> (Til)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">About a tablespoon of <a href="http://bigbasket.com/ps/?q=oil" target="_blank">oil</a> (any oil that you prefer - I used refined sunflower oil)</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">About a two-thumbs sized piece of <a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/10000488/bbs-jaggery-round-500-gm-pouch/?spn=1" target="_blank"><i>vellam </i>(jaggery)</a><i>&nbsp;</i>for a tinge of sweetness. Avoid it if you don't like sweetness. Personally, I feel this is what makes it taste brilliant. I have a sweet tooth, you see.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://bigbasket.com/pd/248005/akar-iodised-crystal-free-flow-salt-1-kg-pouch/?spn=1" target="_blank">Salt</a> - As necessary</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I hadn't measured it in terms of weight. My Mom hates doing that. Everything is measured only by the eye. <i>"You'll know how much is enough when you see it"</i> is what she says and I seem to follow her.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, I've put up the image of the tumbler below if you still need measurements.&nbsp;</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SqXkBx4JgQc/URkW-vwhw4I/AAAAAAAAES4/8oN8ejvaD-8/s1600/IMG_20130211_212651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SqXkBx4JgQc/URkW-vwhw4I/AAAAAAAAES4/8oN8ejvaD-8/s320/IMG_20130211_212651.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Note that my hands are huge. Bigger than a typical guy's. So, keep that in mind. :P</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">1 tumbler = approximately 150gm of <i>Paruppu</i> (Dhal). Not sure though.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzB7nfbr0w8/URkTt2HyezI/AAAAAAAAESk/EtIYKU1sD_g/s1600/1360419495937.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XzB7nfbr0w8/URkTt2HyezI/AAAAAAAAESk/EtIYKU1sD_g/s320/1360419495937.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Take all the ingredients mentioned above, except the <i>eLLu</i> and fry it in a pan on medium flame with any oil that you prefer (I used refined sunflower oil) until both the <i>paruppu</i> turn golden yellow. Make sure to keep&nbsp;<em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Sautéing it to avoid burning it. The chilli would also have started emitting its odour by now. Once done frying, keep this mix aside to cool down.</em></span><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Now, take the eLLu that is remaining and&nbsp;</em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">Sauté it on a pan without any oil. This has to be done dry. The eLLu will start to burst like pop corn. Be careful not to get burnt by the bursting grains. The raw smell would have disappeared by now and the colour would've also turned to golden-yellow. This indicates that it is cooked. Remove the pan away from the fire.</em></span><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now, take the previous mix of Red chillies, Kadalai Paruppu, VeLLai ULundhu and asafoetida, after making sure that it has cooled down sufficiently for your mixer, grind it along with a lemon-sized piece of tamarind and Rock-salt as necessary. (Rock salt lends a better taste than free-flowing powdered salt).</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Last step is to add the eLLu that has been cooling down all this while to the already ground powder and grind them all together.</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLG_X9cQ0O8/URkR__J1V2I/AAAAAAAAESY/y_W2ei3NrGg/s1600/IMG_20130209_195505.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QLG_X9cQ0O8/URkR__J1V2I/AAAAAAAAESY/y_W2ei3NrGg/s320/IMG_20130209_195505.jpg" width="240" /></a><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That's it. It's done. That was simple, wasn't it?</span></em><br /><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Allow it to cool down and store it in an air-tight container. The measurements mentioned here will make the powder last for about a week for a single person, if used everyday.&nbsp;</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This can be mixed with rice, used as a side-dish for Idly, Dosai, Thayir saadham (Curd rice) etc.</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enjoy. :)</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Let me know if you try this out and how it turned out to be. And if you have any tips/tricks in survival skills, leave it in the comments.</span></em><br /><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></em><em style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I will follow-up with posts on the recipes of&nbsp;</span></em>Thenga podi and Dhaniya podi soon.</div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-25442999449522612772013-01-10T13:26:00.000+05:302013-01-10T13:42:06.931+05:30Indha Avinasi oru visuvaasi - MMKR Dialogue compilation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">After&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/102790055583351886039" target="_blank">+Mirnalini Venkatraman</a>&nbsp;posted some dialogue reference to a dialogue from Thilli Mullu on twitter, I had asked her what she meant and got blasted for not getting the reference. This&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/114622799274913423284" target="_blank">+Ashokha Varshini</a>&nbsp;gave me the imposition to write for such a grave ignorance. Then, @_curses tweeted another dialogue from MMKR which also I didn't seem to "get". Just like Avinasi, I am also one visuvaasi so, as an alternative to writing imposition, I decided to download a watch both Michael Madana Kama Rajan and Thillu Mullu again and live tweet both movies' dialogues and I did. This blog post is to compile all those tweets into a single source for future reference as suggested by&nbsp;<a class="g-profile" href="https://plus.google.com/108160076849441429608" target="_blank">+bala kumaran</a>&nbsp;So, here goes:<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">@<a href="https://twitter.com/kartefact">kartefact</a> intha avinasi oru visuvaasi <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Bala (@Blahkumaran) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:32:56+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/Blahkumaran/status/288684724942143489">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="288684724942143489">@<a href="https://twitter.com/blahkumaran">blahkumaran</a> Visvaasam'na enna theriyumaa? Sathiyama theriyaadhu. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:36:58+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288685739472986112">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> </div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Madras'la mottham 4-5 5-star hotel irukkumaa" it seems. He he.. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:18:28+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288665985538461696">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ange oru dhadiyaal, Inge oru podiyaal. Pala size la adiyaal vechirkaanda <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kalyana Ponnu (@iShO_o) <a data-datetime="2013-01-03T16:20:08+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/iShO_o/status/286869565022035968">January 3, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Thripurasundari illai thiruttu sundari nee" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kalyana Ponnu (@iShO_o) <a data-datetime="2013-01-03T16:09:50+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/iShO_o/status/286866970354262016">January 3, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Pudhu kaapi podiyaa? 4 kilo'vaa? Anga vasthrathulle jarigai maadhiri kadaisiyaai irukku paathiyaa" That scene! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a> Classic!<br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:24:35+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288667523971432448">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Vesham kasakkum. Komattum" Ha ha... <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:26:41+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288668053871419394">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Yaarukku kalyanam? Nekka??? Nokka??? Nekkum nokkumaa? <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kalyana Ponnu (@iShO_o) <a data-datetime="2013-01-03T16:23:31+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/iShO_o/status/286870416222474241">January 3, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Yennadhu idhu?" "Kattindrukkom" "kattindrukkomaa? Amaam" so cute. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:35:30+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288670269793513473">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Sundari neeyum... sundaran naanum" now! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:37:14+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288670706647048192">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Unga appavae thuppakiyala sadhakku'nu kuthittaanga" it seems. LOL <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:47:48+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288673366167130113">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"If STD is a problem, make it a lightning call" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23gzhand">#gzhand</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T15:53:32+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288674807510347777">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Mr. Raju is right now not in" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23gzhand">#gzhand</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:03:53+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288677415385964544">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Adhu seri.. bengaLur pona approm marubadiyum meesa valandhiduchina?" "Marubadiyum shave paNNu." This <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a> is a treasure trove for hashtags<br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:11:57+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288679443956920321">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"He has misappropriated 25 lakhs of my money, you know" "Nallavaru'ndre" :p <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:32:15+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288684553613213696">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script></div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"25 latchamaa? Noor pattanikkaaran kadana theekkalaamya." <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:40:34+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288686643592970240">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Un moonja naan nambaren" "Yen moonji dhaan ippo un moonji maari aayidiche" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:41:45+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288686944240668673">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Catch my point?" "Nyabagam vechikiren. Naanum yengeyaavadhu adchi utturen" He he.. <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:44:15+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288687574443237376">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="288687574443237376">@<a href="https://twitter.com/kartefact">kartefact</a> ithellam apdiye varathu than la <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Bala (@Blahkumaran) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:45:52+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/Blahkumaran/status/288687981202661376">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="288687981202661376">@<a href="https://twitter.com/blahkumaran">blahkumaran</a> adhuvaa varadhu dhaan'le <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:49:23+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288688864414011392">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"We're both sailing in the same boat" "Boat'aa? Ippo dhaan car'lendhu thappichi vandhaa adhukkuLLe boat'u kappalungareengaLe" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:52:27+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288689637998858241">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Guest house'aa? Naan unga house'nu nenachen. Adhu yaaru thambi guest'u?" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:53:46+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288689967851524096">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Oh Madan mahal... Taaaj mahal maadhiri irukkum pola irukku" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:54:34+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288690167370366976">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ange oru dhadiyaal, Inge oru podiyaal. Pala size la adiyaal vechirkaanda <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kalyana Ponnu (@iShO_o) <a data-datetime="2013-01-03T16:20:08+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/iShO_o/status/286869565022035968">January 3, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"IndhaaL'te oru aaL irukkan boss.Andha aaL'te namba aaLe kaatnaaka..boss,nammaaLe andha aaL vaera oru aaLoda sendhu theethukattiduvan" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:58:53+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288691256660463617">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Daddy.. Naan sollale" "Sollave illaye" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:06:43+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288693226544717825">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="288685153969123328">Thus dialogue now. “@<a href="https://twitter.com/18pattinaatamai">18pattinaatamai</a> @<a href="https://twitter.com/kartefact">kartefact</a> ennoda muzhu per madan...friends ellam chellama surukki subramanyarajunu koopdivanga <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a>”<br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:07:33+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288693434397646848">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Anaadhe illeengaLaa, adhaan indha maadhiri hotel'lalaam thanga vendidhakeedhu" ROFL <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:09:04+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288693817748623360">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Yen paeru Daddy ille. Sivaram." <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:10:08+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288694087673073664">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Girdha'lam kooda eduthutaanga" "yenna paNdradhu daddy?" "Adhu parale. Thannale vaLndhidum" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:11:23+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288694402887610369">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Ayyo pudikkaleengaLe" "ungaLukku pudichaa enna, pudikkalanaa enna? Brake'a podunga" LOL <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:16:15+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288695626466738176">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Asingam'na paravale sumaaraa nallave irukku" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:26:14+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288698137508470784">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-in-reply-to="288684553613213696">@<a href="https://twitter.com/kartefact">kartefact</a> ennaku therinjadhu ellam appa, samayal kattu varadhu kutti :P <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Sundar (@sundar_ganesan) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T16:36:20+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/sundar_ganesan/status/288685578529165312">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Sutthamaa therla- konjam thooki kaatraa" "ANNen, pongaNNen" "Ada chi" Origin of <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23haun">#haun</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:49:32+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288704003183894528">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Chee... neenga romba naughty" "Nee mattum... kamminaatiyaa? Neeyum dhaan naughty" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:53:25+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288704979412328450">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"10 aayiramaa? 5 aayiram dhaane michcham?" "Idhu bengaLur'aakkum. Velavaasiyellaam yeri poiduthu" <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T17:57:42+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288706056736092160">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Avar yen varungaala kaNavar" "Naan kadandhagaala paati" :P <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T18:15:10+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288710450647007234">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">"Open the bloody gates man, I AM THE BOSS" - Madan from <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a> <a href="http://t.co/wEh8BPbu" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=XJIZ0dVCrTo">youtube.com/watch?feature=…</a><a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Vishwaroopam">#Vishwaroopam</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23Kamalhaasan">#Kamalhaasan</a><br />— Nishanth Krishnan (@krishking) <a data-datetime="2013-01-09T16:01:04+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/krishking/status/289039091734024192">January 9, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">kadha keLu kadha keLu nijamana kadha keLu suvaiyoda sugamaga uruvaana kadha keLu... <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a><br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T18:47:13+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288718518806011904">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><script async="async" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script> <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">michael madana kama rajan kadhaiya nalla kelu achuadchu vechadhu pol naalu pera paaru! <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%23MMKR">#MMKR</a>... Subam :-)<br />— Kryptonite (@kartefact) <a data-datetime="2013-01-08T18:47:48+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/kartefact/status/288718663220076544">January 8, 2013</a></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;">Thanks to all of you who had tweeted, for making this as comprehensive as possible. Please&nbsp;@reply tweet to me or post here in the comments, some of the dialogues that we (everyone tagged in the tweets above) may have missed.</div><h4 style="text-align: left;"></h4><h4 style="text-align: left;"> Next post: #ThilluMullu based :) </h4></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-38443613920780646512013-01-07T14:32:00.001+05:302013-01-07T14:32:36.962+05:30Thank you, Knowledgeable Chennai Crowd<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div>The idea of visiting the town of charm - Chennai originated with a friend moving there in April last year. I had been there on May but that was the worst time of the year to visit a place like that. Everyone knows the 3 seasons of Chennai - Hot, Hotter and Hottest! And May is falls in middle of the hottest months of the year.<br />Anyway, this blog is not about my earlier visit, so I'll stop there.<br />I will not talk about how I despise Chennai Summers, either. This being the winter, I expected it to be bearable, if not pleasant, but to my surprise it was actually VERY pleasant.</div><div><br /></div>'Twas the Season to be jolly. Yeah. The Christmas season had arrived and it had been over a month since another friend had moved to Chennai. That was an incentive for me to visit the city. Thanks to twitter, I now know a lot more people from Chennai than from my own town. So, took the opportunity of the year-end-shutdown at office to visit all of them.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Boy, was that a great decision! I may not have partied for the New year's. I may not have drunk. I may not have traveled, but what could be better than meeting some awesome people! As an icing on the cake, I got to go to the ARR live-in-concert.<br /><br />Was that brilliant or what! My first ever concert. Rain-drenched. Soaking-wet. The crowd had not moved an inch. I, being what's known as "Enthu pattani", went to the venue at 2PM for the 6PM concert to put towel and hold seats for my friends (you know who you are, #giuTreat). Rained all through until the concert began, but I got to hear the songs being performed even before it did. All the artists were there rehearsing back stage with the mics ON. :D<br />The man's called AR RahGod for no silly reason. We were literally drenched by "Isai Puyal" (Musical cyclone). Whatte Man!<br />Except for a few screw-ups by Hariharan and &nbsp;the ads for Jaya TV serials in between the songs, I had the time of my life at the concert.<br /><br />I made sure I met as many twitter folks as possible over multiple tweet-ups. First one was a small one in a posh tea kadai called Pascucci and the second one was over dinner at a restaurant called Kailash Parbat. Both nice places. Was blown away by the crowd that was waiting outside Kailash Parbat when we exited. Didn't think the food was THAT great. The&nbsp;ambiance&nbsp;was good, though.<br /><br />Stood in the queue for 5 hours to get to see the deity at the Singa-Perumal koil on Vaikunta Ekadasi day.<br /><br />Wasted money in watching The Hobbit. Before you outrage, I Haven't watched LoTR series, so...<br /><br />After the itching wait, finally got to watch Sivaji 3D in Dolby ATMOS at Sathyam Cinemas. I owe an apology to everyone who turned up that day for I had all their tickets and ended up being terribly late. Sorry. Really.<br /><br />You! Yes, you! Go watch it.&nbsp;If you haven't watched it yet or even if you have, book a ticket to Chennai and watch it in ATMOS. Mind-blowing it is. And it is a completely different movie in 3D.<br /><br />Watched NKPK - One hilarious movie this one is. Watch it if you already haven't.<br /><br />Went to the Vandalur Zoo. Whatte place! Spent one entire day there and if you love animals, this is a must-see. One suggestion - Don't take the golf cart. Take the cycle or walk, if you want to see all animals&nbsp;leisurely.<br /><br />Met some long-time-no-see friends, but only briefly - Most of them being busy. Looks like only I was completely vetti this time of the year. :P&nbsp;Anyway, I could use this as an excuse for going again. Chennai is just 6 hours away from Bangalore.<br /><br />If only Chennai had Bangalore's weather, I'll gladly move. Whatte town. What warmth. What people! Love the place, although I have no deep connection to it.<br /><br />And did I mention my romance with trains? Chennai's sub-urban trains - oh my love!<br /><br />With that came the time to pack-up and get back to the grind. What a way to end a year and start another one. Thank you Chennai. Thanks to all the people who made it to the tweet-ups and to the ones I met. Yuvaar the bestest!<br /><br />Here's wishing you 2013 to be the best year so far, in your lives. Take care. Be good. Until next time... :)</div></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-16624758866453569762012-12-31T08:37:00.001+05:302012-12-31T08:52:32.396+05:302012 - Retrospect<p dir=ltr>1. Traveled by an International flight for the first time<br>2. Visited a foreign county for the first time<br>3. Saw roads of the middle east for the first time<br>4. Saw snow for the first time<br>5. Bought my first basketball shoes and converse shoes<br>6. Discovered nutella and chocolate flakes<br>7. Ate my first cup-cake (have had muffins before)<br>8. Got promoted<br>9. Made some amazing friends, mostly through Twitter<br>10.Followed many people, un-followed a few<br>11. Met a lot of Twitter folks in person<br>12. Attended my first real live concert<br>13. Discovered food street and CTR thanks to the new friend I made - Apoorva<br>14. Have bowled more than any other year - Thanks to another new friend, Vinay<br>15. Discovered the joy of oor suthifying pointlessly with a friend<br>16. Watched more plays/movies/shows this year than any other<br>17. Moved to a better house<br>18. Met some lovely folks in Madras<br>19. Been the Busiest and the laziest at work, this year<br>20. In one sentence - Awesome food, awesome company and an awesome time has been had.</p><p dir=ltr>Some things I wish to do in 2013:<br>1. Read more. One book every fortnight challenge of Aska has been taken up<br>2. Learn and work on new stuff<br>3. Travel more<br>4. Last but not definitely the keystone for doing the rest - Make more money.</p><p dir=ltr>Here's wishing you a very happy new year.</p><p dir=ltr>I'd like to hear your story. Comment away.</p>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-44629838929395974692012-12-04T19:17:00.002+05:302012-12-04T19:17:19.141+05:30Growing younger<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Being the ARR fan that I am, when Ranjani had made a post about Rahman's interview (<a href="http://tharkuri.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/ella-pugazhum-iraivanukke/">http://tharkuri.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/ella-pugazhum-iraivanukke/</a>), I was immediately interested in it. Somewhere in the video, he says that he feels younger now than when he was actually young. And that made a connect with me. Made my eyes go wide. Because that's exactly how I feel now too. The years in college in a course that I was least interested in (which I found out only after the first year) and then the passing of my father really had sucked the life out of me.<br />The knife of passing Engineering and earning for the family hung over my head and the impending doom if I didn't was too much to bear. Although I was strong enough to not go into depression, it wasn't easy either.<br />I wasn't an introvert but thanks to my conservative upbringing, I had never really enjoyed myself, in hindsight. The few things that gave me joy were a few of my friends and technology. I didn't realize then what I was losing out on.<br />This may sound cheesy but it is true -In&nbsp;the past couple of years, I've come to realize the petty joys of youth and feel younger now than in the last few years. Perhaps the reason that I find myself in the company of more and more people who are much younger than I am than people of my own age. Earning gives you that independence, the freedom to do things that you always wanted to without being naive or overtly irresponsible. Although I have my sweet memories and&nbsp;nostalgia, I love the present and feel this is the best part of my life and there is so much ahead of me to experience and achieve.<br />Do you feel the same way? Is there are period in your life that you enjoy(ed) the most? Comment and let me know.</div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-19546351927130540042012-12-04T15:06:00.000+05:302012-12-04T15:06:59.399+05:30Old and (penny) wiseI was rummaging through the long-forgotten piggy bank of mine and came across a treasure trove of antique coins. Notice the rupee coin that dates back to 1869. Let me remind you that these were not collected for collection's sake. <br><iframe src="https://skydrive.live.com/embed?cid=E6C1740CBF27E0ED&resid=E6C1740CBF27E0ED%21429&authkey=AH--lXIOZ_GdGS8" width="165" height="128" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></br><br>Do you have similar antiquities in your posession? Let me know. :) </br>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-66791188929960341262012-11-09T00:07:00.001+05:302012-11-09T00:07:24.414+05:30Obama's Complete Victory Speech: Obama Wins the 2012 Election<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nv9NwKAjmt0?fs=1" width="480"></iframe>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-65845183938053419912012-09-04T18:03:00.003+05:302012-09-04T18:03:50.432+05:30You Never Know<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">There are things you want desperately at times and you don't get it. There are others that you are fine either way and those are the ones that fall into place effortlessly. Then there's the third kind that you never thought of would happen to you and they do - both good things and bad things.<br /><br />Now, how one should handle these highs and lows can be answered with a single phrase - "This too shall pass" except no one knows how long it would take to pass. You aren't sure if it is a good thing for it to pass so that you can move on to higher place or if it's passing just rocks the boat and takes you to much worse position than you are in currently. So, what should one do in such circumstances? <br /><br />Choice is what determines the future. Not luck, CHOICE. At your death-bed if you recount the path that you had treaded, you'll see the choices that you made. You'll see that even if one small such choice was made differently, your life could've taken a whole new course. Things wouldn't have turned out the way they did. Hind-sight is twenty-20 they say, but you'd never know even at your death bed, if you made the right choices. You never know if you made your choices differently, if it would have been for the better or for worse. That's life. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">YOU NEVER KNOW!&nbsp;</div><br />Go with the flow. Make the choices when you have to. Give your mind the maximum time for it to come to a decision. This can be contrary to being decisive but creative people are not decisive. So, consider yourself one. Your mind will make the choice for the most creative/original solution to a problem. Or will it just delay the decision making and you could lose the window of opportunity that you were presented to make the decision to take the path that appeared so easily in front you. That's it. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">YOU NEVER KNOW!</div><br />Why is everything so complicated? I sit and ponder... to make my next immediate decision that's going to change my LIFE!</div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-44843284288466449902012-09-01T22:00:00.000+05:302012-09-01T22:00:16.740+05:30Mugamoodi(Mask) - Review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Never seeming to learn from our past experiences, myself and a few of my twitter buddies decided to go for the interestingly named Jiiva starrer - Mugamoodi (Mask).<br />Spoiler Alert: If you are planning to watch the movie, stop reading... or don't... the movie is predictable anyway.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.tamilstar.com/wallpaper/file/536/2560x1440/none/mugamoodi--14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="229" src="http://www.tamilstar.com/wallpaper/file/536/2560x1440/none/mugamoodi--14.jpg" width="320" /></a>After his previous outing - Yudham sei which was, I must admit, a formidable thriller, Mysskin tries out his hand at another genre - Superheroes. He must be given due credit to bring such a genre to Indian or rather Tamil Cinema (I don't consider mythology based movies in this genre). This is true new fiction. Having said that, the movie falls flat when it comes to screenplay.<br /><br />The movie seems to be heavily influenced by Christopher Nolan's Batman series. This can be seen straight away from the posters to the trailer. Damn! Even the background score seems to be heavily influenced by the Dark Knight series' Hans Zimmer composition. Even the characterization seems to have been heavily influenced by Batman movies. Commissioner Gordon - Assistant Commissioner Gaurav, NYPD - TNPD, Batman - Mugamoodi, Lucius Fox - Girish Karnad, Alfred - the other "Thatha".<br /><br />Portraying the jobless, aimless, angry young man (especially at his always-scolding-father) seems to be some kind of an allergy that Tamil cinema, in the recent days, has caught. Bruce Lee (Jiiva) wanting to be like the original Bruce Lee trains with a fairly less known Kung-Fu master in the suburbs of Chennai. The movie moves slowly where the director tries to set the stage for the story later. The first half is a la Billa 2 to Billa 1. Jiiva tries to bring in some students who can pay the fee to learn Kung-fu from his master, so that he can pay up the rent to his master's landlord, and prevent him from becoming homeless. He does this by intimidating a few so-called low class uneducated fish market vendors at the market. Here's where the heorin is introduced, the face of whom is not shown until the end of the next scene.<br /><br />The story moves on...Jiiva trying to impress his new found love - Shakthi (Pooja Hegde) by lying that he's working at some company in a good post and gets his nose cut when his father yells at him revealing his true status right in front of the heroine. The build-up given to the heroine's intro is unwarranted considering that we have seen prettier ones.<br /><br />Are you bored already? Yes, we were too! Looking at the watch, it was almost an hour and half and nothing yet. Then, in order to propose, Jiiva finally tries to reveal who Mugamoodi is to Pooja Hegde. That's when the story tries to become more interesting but in vain. The villain's men try to kill the Assistant commissioner (who's also Pooja's father) - played by Nazar - unimaginatively &nbsp;or unnaturally named Gaurav. Jiiva being on the spot is handed the gun by the miscreant who escapes and Jiiva is framed. Nazar manages to recover from his Gunshot wound in the hospital during which the villain tries to kill him. The police officer who was Nazar's assistant is caught red handed while trying to kill a conscious Nazar who acts to be sleeping.<br /><br />The worst portrayal of a villain is done by Narain, again unimaginatively named Angusamy, who, later is revealed to be the a fellow-inmate of Jiiva's Kung-fu master 22 years ago, yet looks much younger than the Kung-fu master. Most of his scenes he tries to mock his opponent, be it his fellow inmate or Jiiva. His movements, perhaps made to resemble some niche Kung-fu move, unintentionally becomes quite GAYish. Especially the way he repeats all the Superhero names - "Batman, Spiderman, Superman" is extremely annoying. The Villain is more comical than intimidating. There's a touch of Joker being tried out here but fails terribly.<br /><br />I won't go into any more details, you ask is there more? Yes... sadly. This is a looong movie. I'll just get to the gist. The villain continues his childhood traits of being a thief and learns Kung-fu from his foster father who was a Kung-Fu master himself. He kills his foster father when he finds out that he was the one to inform the police about his thievery. Grows up to start a Kung-fu school with his partners in crime and continues stealing jewelry from houses and killing every single soul who comes in their way. Mugamoodi unintentionally comes in their way during one of their heists. The next thing you know, he's framed for shooting the ACP. After a lot of running around and kidnapping and hostage and ransom calls, the story lands at the Ennur port for the climax... which was again, very predictable. The hero's hands are tied up, the villain tries to kill him, after some confusing scene sans logic, it ends with the villain giving up holding on to his trademark hammer (a la "Yaavarum Nalam"?) and falling into the sea and hitting his head on to a metal jutting out from one of the cranes (perhaps to justify that he actually dies from the fall), after losing to Jiiva in his fight where Mugamoodi uses the last technique that his master had taught him but the villain not knowing it.<br /><br />Are you a bit ticked off? Yes, that's what the movie does. Songs are forgettable. Music Director named "K", has done some interesting background score, as said earlier, heavily inspired by the Dark Knight series. The Title credits does a Marvel comics/DC comics style animation that we have so loved in the recent superhero movies, which is nice.<br /><br />Overall - Very mediocre.<br /><br />This character, however, has tremendous potential to be greatly developed. Perhaps someone could get some great writers and come up with a more captivating story and make a sequel. We could then, forget this annoying intro and move on, creating a home-bred superhero who could be out friendly neighbourhood superhero!</div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-75163371989994962992012-07-16T20:20:00.000+05:302012-07-16T20:20:59.658+05:30My take on Billa 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Following up with a post from my friend Rajagopalan's review of the movie, which you can find here: <br /><br />http://opinionsoftheraja.blogspot.in/2012/07/scarface-meets-godfather-and-other.html<br /><br />Here's my take on it:<br /><br />Slight disagreement about the music part, with Raja's review. Yuvan has had better ones. Also, the punch dialogue English translation loses its punch. Can't help that, of course. Just saying. The cinematography is breath-taking, indeed. Especially the scenes in so-called "Boravia" if such a country exists. The guy playing the Russian arms dealer was a perfect fit, except that he didn't "look" Russian.<br /><br />Also, lot of logic misses. e.g. The scene where the villain calls Ajith on the phone and says that if he doesn't show up, Jasmine would die. Only one problem. He doesn't say where to come, but still the hero being a hero lands up at the right place. And the commandos having Jasmine at gun point, don't waste a single bullet on seeing the hero's envoy. <br /> Showing NSG/army/navy/air-force commandos helpless, with just a shotgun in the hero's hand is a bit unnerving to me. <br /> <br /><br />As for glam, Bruna sizzles indeed. Parvathy (Jasmine) was just wasted!<br /><br />Looks like the producers wanted another prequel to be made. Probably Billa 3. So many questions still unanswered and more that came up with Billa 2! The song shot like a graphic novel leaves out a lot of detail, showing only certain aspects of the past. The scene where Ajith says "They didn't understand me then, I don't know if they will now" and then his sister saying "Will you never learn?" says there's more to come.<br /><br /></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0Grant Rd, Sampangi Rama Nagar, Bangalore, Karnataka, India12.972442010578378 77.59643554687511.982168010578379 76.333008046875 13.962716010578378 78.859863046875tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-75451102066116880262012-06-06T09:11:00.001+05:302012-06-06T09:13:10.251+05:30Life<div class="wlWriterHeaderFooter" style="float:none; margin:0px; padding:4px 0px 4px 0px;"><iframe src="http://www.facebook.com/widgets/like.php?href=http://www.karthikeyanr.com/2012/06/life.html" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" style="border:none; width:450px; height:80px"></iframe></div><p align="justify"><font size="3"></font>&nbsp;</p> <p align="justify"><font size="3">This is an old gem that I found while cleaning my room the other day – A poem written (I’m guessing) by my Dad called “Life”.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="7" face="Edwardian Script ITC">“We do not see the life that lives,<br>we only see the forms it gives.<br>We do not see the soul that wakes,<br>we only see the course it takes.</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="7" face="Edwardian Script ITC"></font>&nbsp;</p> <p align="justify"><font size="7" face="Edwardian Script ITC">And yet we know that life is here.<br>To regulate the day and year,<br>To register through joy &amp; pain,<br>To take the loss &amp; count the gain.”</font></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3"></font>&nbsp;</p> <p align="justify"><font size="3"><strong>In his own Handwriting:</strong></font></p> <p align="justify"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YlHc0980P8Y/T87RNTHl4LI/AAAAAAAAAGc/dLnXX1HHzLY/s1600-h/Dad%252527s%252520Poem%25255B3%25255D.png"><font size="3"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-YlHc0980P8Y/T87RNTHl4LI/AAAAAAAAAGg/W6XC4jCVQiE/s1600-h/Dad%252527s%252520Poem%25255B6%25255D.png"><img style="display: inline" title="Dad's Poem" alt="Dad's Poem" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-E7wG60Cz3A4/T87Re3B4FHI/AAAAAAAAAGM/btARu_ziq4s/Dad%252527s%252520Poem_thumb%25255B4%25255D.png?imgmax=800" width="458" height="567"></a></font></a></p> <p align="justify"><font size="3" face="Calibri">P.S. There’s a name scribbled on top in a different handwriting. It spells “M. Borha”. I don’t know if this was presented to that person or was composed (not written, obviously, because the handwriting is my Dad’s) by that person. If you are that person, enjoy reminiscing this. <img style="border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none" class="wlEmoticon wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile" alt="Open-mouthed smile" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-huslGU5WDcQ/T87RfoLjL0I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/ZIck25HqHoI/wlEmoticon-openmouthedsmile%25255B2%25255D.png?imgmax=800">&nbsp;</font></p> Karthihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18377383284895234183noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-31046622333999713212012-05-10T06:03:00.001+05:302012-05-10T09:07:35.765+05:30Who moved my house?<div><p>Finally we've moved out to a larger, better, cleaner, greener house after living in one for 52 years continuously.<br>The thought of leaving your neighbors, friends, the familiarity, the bond of staying in a particular neighbourhood for over half a century for my family and my entire life was indeed scary. I will not lie. But we've overcome it and thanks to an ex-colleague and friend Nagaraj, we've moved into this new neighbourhood and have fallen in love with it despite its woes like unmetalled roads and frequent telephone disconnections (twice in the last one week - something to do with Airtel and not the neighbourhood).<br>Following up with my previous post where I mentioned about Perfect packers and movers - those idiots said they're booked at three last moment despite me booking 2 weeks in advance. So, finally after enquiring a lot, decided to go with Laxmi packets &amp; movers for 7k plus the tip of 600 to the workers - I know that wasn't necessary but the kind of hardship they went through to get one if cupboards up - you should've been there to see it.<br>This was quite far away from my sister's college but she had only three days of exams left when we had moved in. It has been almost a month since we moved in and we have gotten easily accustomed to the new way of life, here.<br>Looks like we are better than our neighbours downstairs in gathering information and getting our utilities in place.<br>We've transferred our gas connection, found where the post office is, the cheapest grocer, the cable TV, telephone, internet, everything's setup and running. Our neighbour, on the other hand are yet to figure out most of these things despite being here for more than two years, now. B-)<br>Like everywhere else, even here, electricians, carpenters and plumbers all act like they are Lords and getting their appointment must be harder than meeting the CM.<br>After a lot of haggling we've got the plug points and the plumbing ready for the fridge and washing machine but yet to get some nails nailed onto the walls. Life is very difficult without those wall clocks and clothes hangers.<br>So, apart from these few hiccups, we've begun to call this new house, our home. That's it for now. See you next time. Until then, happy reading. </p></div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7739386132834482019.post-59044831558371654672012-04-02T08:39:00.001+05:302012-04-02T08:39:25.283+05:30Walking the clouds<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Remember Morgan Freeman in "Bruce Almighty"? Yes. He played God!</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowFullScreen='true' webkitallowfullscreen='true' mozallowfullscreen='true' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/yOgdjlPRWMg?feature=player_embedded' FRAMEBORDER='0' /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><br />Now check this video out: <br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/XodLG_pptUU/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/XodLG_pptUU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/XodLG_pptUU?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></span></div><br /><br />Yeah! That's me in the plane, on the way back to India. Felt like God was talking to me!</div>Karthikeyan Ravikumarhttps://plus.google.com/112346660969357540686noreply@blogger.com0